Category: Bidston

What Everybody Ought to Know About A-Boards & Shop Displays

An article about the licences granted for A-boards and shop displays on the Wirral by Wirral Council.

Following on from an earlier story about flytipping at the back of shops on Hoylake Road, Bidston (which has thankfully now been partly rectified by the owner building a wall there), a resident has been in touch with me about concerns they have (mainly about one particular shop on Hoylake Road) and more widely on the subject of A-Boards and shop displays on pavements in general on the Wirral.

Here, Wirral Council is the highways authority and can grant permission (in the form of a licence) for shops to display A-boards advertising their premises on the street outside. Shops can also get permission to display some of their wares and cafes can be granted permission to use part of the pavement (although pavement cafes usually require planning permission too). There’s a page on their website that explains how businesses go about this.

This licencing is supposed to make sure that a minimum width of pavement is left so that pedestrians can pass in both directions easily. Certain classes of walkers such as those using one or more walking sticks, or wheelchair users need extra space, which is why Wirral Council recommend a clear path of at least two metres around obstacles, such as lamp posts (these minimums are increased if the area is next to a pedestrian crossing, in a pedestrianised area or in a busy area). Businesses are also supposed to display the licence granted in their shop windows (although many don’t seem to).

Below are some photos of A-boards locally on Hoylake Road, Bidston and a shop display from further down Hoylake Road in nearby Moreton. On the first photo is two large A-boards outside the All-American Car Wash which are sensibly placed well out-of-the-way of the dropped kerbs. The second is an A-board advertising a barber’s shop, again placed sensitively with the needs of pedestrians in mind, but the third is placed on the opposite side of the road from a cafe, therefore unless they have a bespoke licence this isn’t permitted. The fourth is an example of a shop display outside a fruit and vegetable shop on Hoylake Road, which due to the nearby lamp post constricts the available pavement left.

Wirral Council’s Technical Services Department does have enforcement officers that respond to complaints raised if a business seems to be exceeding the terms of its licence. However even if a business is visited and found to have breached the terms of the licence, it seems Wirral Council don’t revoke the licence if the situation is remedied to what it should be. The police do have powers they can use against if “a person without lawful authority or excuse, in anyway wilfully obstructs the free passage along the highway”, which can be punished by a fine of up to £1000, but generally the police seem to refer people back to the highways authority, Wirral Council.

So what do you think about the current situation? How should the compliance by Wirral Council with licences be enforced? Should businesses that regularly exceed the terms of their licence have them revoked and have you got any examples of good or bad practice you’d like to share? If so, please leave a comment.

Licensing, Health & Safety and General Purposes Committee (Wirral Council) Part 1 19/3/2012 Agenda items 1(Declarations of Interest), 2 (Minutes), 3 (Sex Establishment fees) & 5 (Local Election fees 2012/2013)

Well on the 19th March 2012, I attended the well-attended Licensing, Health & Safety & General Purposes Committee in Committee Room 1. There were the usual people there such as taxi drivers and union reps and a few new faces from Merseytravel, as well as the committee of councillors and officers.

The committee composed of the following councillors (Cllr Ian Lewis (Conservative) was absent):-

Labour (5)
Cllr Bill Davies (Chair)
Cllr Patricia Glasman
Cllr Chris Jones
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Irene Williams

Conservative (3)
Cllr Sue Taylor (Conservative spokesperson)
Cllr Kate Wood
Cllr Tom Anderson

Liberal Democrats (1)
Cllr Bob Wilkins (Lib Dem spokesperson)

The following Wirral Council officers were there to support the committee:-
Committee clerk: Anne Beauchamp
Legal adviser: Mr. Ken Abraham
Others: Margaret O’Donnell, Mr. Robert Beresford + others I don’t know the name of

The meeting started late with the Chair apologising for the wait as they were waiting for their legal team in regards to item 3 (Proposed election fees 2012/2013). He apologised again for the wait and said they would skip item 3 until Surjit Tour arrived.

He started the meeting with item 1 and asked for any declarations of interest.

Cllr Sue Taylor (Conservative spokesperson) apologised for Cllr Ian Lewis who was not present.

No declarations of interest were made, so they moved to item 2, which was the minutes of the last meeting.

Cllr Steve Niblock objected to the list of people attending the last meeting as he had not been at the last meeting due to being at the Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting which was also held on the 8th March.

He said he couldn’t be in two places at the same time, so he had sent Cllr Salter in his place as deputy. Therefore he asked for the minutes to be changed and his name replaced with Cllr Salter. The Chair said they would make sure it was changed. With the amendment to the minutes, the minutes (item 2) were agreed and the Committee skipped item 3 to item 4 (Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences).

The Chair explained they would also skip item 4 and deal with it at the end.

At this point a councillor’s mobile phone started ringing and the Committee moved to item 5 sex establishment fees. Margaret O’Donnell introduced this report about the licensing of sex establishments and referred to various pieces of legislation including section 27 of the “Police and Crime Act 2009”, although she actually meant the Policing and Crime Act 2009. She asked the Committee to consider what fees should be charged by Wirral Council for receiving applications. She suggested £1,200 per an application based on an estimate of what costs would be incurred.

At this point 6.15pm Surjit Tour arrived fifteen minutes late and sat down.

Cllr Niblock asked if the £1,200 was just for a new one or the same for a renewal too?

Margaret replied that yes, she suggested £1,200 for both.

Item 5 was agreed that Wirral Council would charge £1,200 for new applications and £1,200 for renewals of sex establishment licences.

The Chair asked Surjit Tour to explain to the meeting his report,item 3 (proposed election fees for 2012/2013).

Surjit Tour asked the Chair if he wanted him to go ahead so they could agree the suggestions? The Chair agreed. Surjit Tour apologised for being late, he had thought the meeting started at 6.15pm, Ed – it was supposed to start at 6.00pm, he apologised again for his late arrival.

He explained that the election fees were proposed fees and were payments made to staff by the Returning Officer. There was no specific guidance or formula used as this was a local issue. According to scientists, the results of the study indicate that at https://summitps.org/accutane-isotretinoin/ accutane isotretinoin creates the necessary conditions for useful populations of Propionibacteria and other bacteria that reduce the likelihood of acne. The way it had previously been arrived at by the previous Chief Executive/Returning Office Steve Maddox was a yearly increase to take into account inflation. The increase for this year was therefore 3.9%, however it was calculated on the basis of individual wards. Neighbouring authorities fees were included in the report for comparison.

The Merseyside Electoral Administration team also discussed such matters at a meeting. However because of difficulties facing staff he proposed the following changes to those figures in the report.

(a) polling station inspector increased from £190 to £565.

(b) Deputy Returning Officer fee increased from a flat fee of £459.42 (per ward)  to 50% of the Returning Officer’s fee (£5,127.98 * 50%) = £2,563.99 (per ward)

The Chair thanked him for the report. The committee agreed the recommendations and changes. He thanked Surjit Tour again.

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Budget night at Wirral Council & Off licence application for 46 Hoylake Road, Bidston turned down

Well tonight councillors at Wallasey Town Hall meet to decide among other things Wirral Council’s Budget for 2012-2013.

So far we have had the surprise Labour Budget at its last Cabinet meeting on the 13th February, which was then rescinded by the new Conservative/Lib Dem Cabinet on the 21st February.

Labour councillors then “called-in” the decision by the Conservative/Lib Dem Cabinet of the 21st February to rescind their earlier Labour Budget recommendation to Council and the Budget procedure chosen by the Conservative/Lib Dem Cabinet. This call-in was decided at the Council Excellence meeting on Tuesday 28th February. This call-in failed mainly because Bill Norman said that Cabinet recommendations to Council from Cabinet weren’t subject to call-in as in his view it wasn’t an Executive decision, just a recommendation so Labour have tabled an amendment to the Budget procedure tonight.

Confused yet?

However in more local news the Licensing Act 2003 subcommittee of Cllr Steve Niblock, Cllr Mike Hornby and Cllr Don McCubbin decided yesterday to turn down an application for an off-licence at 46 Hoylake Road. The reasons given were the objections of Merseyside Police (both Sgt Jenkins and Inspector McGregor were against it as they thought it would lead to increased crime and disorder).

The committee also had serious concerns about the integrity of the person who’d made the application for the licence and his alleged association with criminal activities. Trading Standards also spoke during the meeting about how they had seized counterfeit goods from the person applying for a premises licence.

The Subcommittee also felt the person applying displayed no understanding of the licensing objectives, despite previous involvement with other licensed premises, one of which had had its licence revoked due to violent crime. The issue of under age sales was also given as a reason by the subcommittee.

If you’d like to come to the Budget meeting tonight (1st March) it starts at 6.15pm in the Council Chamber at Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral, CH44 8ED .

Bidston & St. James/Claughton Area Forum 8/2/2012 Quote of the evening: Cllr Steve Foulkes

The quote of the evening goes to Cllr Foulkes who stated:-

“I get the blame for everything else these days so I may as well accept the blame.” in regards to his Cabinet’s decision to transfer of the River Streets Community Centre to Wallasey Gymnastic Club at a 99 year peppercorn rent and its partial demolition.

The prize for persistently asking a question in about a dozen different ways goes to Charlie Wright, who only stopped when local police Inspector McGregor asked him to.

Cllr Foulkes also said he’s “not going to try to rewrite history” that he “can’t rewrite history” and described Birkenhead Town Centre as “dying on its feet”.

But wasn’t it Cllr Foulkes’ Cabinet in a behind closed doors meeting that sold off the Wirral Council car parks there to Asda which affected trade in Birkenhead? The recession had some role to play, but Asda clearly accelerated the demise of some businesses.

You almost get the idea that Cllr Foulkes is looking for some sympathy to the predicament he now finds himself in, being hoist by his own petard. Wasn’t it only a few years ago he was proudly standing up at the Lauries Centre telling the world of his vision for closing half the Borough’s libraries and flogging off its community centres despite the sixty thousand Wirral residents that didn’t want their leisure centres, libraries or community centres sold? What will be cut from Wirral Council’s Budget when Labour announce their 2012/2013 Budget in a few weeks time?

Thankfully his colleagues are now trying to consult with the public over the libraries (a lesson learnt from Sue Charteris was that they should consult first) and parks, beaches and open spaces.

One would almost think there are local elections less than three months away, in which Labour seek to gain majority control of Wirral Council. Yet with £millions to find in Budget savings for 2012/2013 in the next few weeks, all eyes are on the two no confidence motions in Cllr Foulkes’ leadership of the Borough next Monday… will he pull a rabbit out of a hat, or like the proverbial cat with nine lives has he used them all up?

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 16/1/2011 Part 1 Peel presentation on Wirral Waters

Present:

Cllr Tony Cox
Cllr stuart Kelly
Cllr Gerry Ellis
Cllr Mark Johnston
Cllr Andrew Hodson
Cllr Denise Realey
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Pat Hackett
Cllr Stuart Wittingham

Cllr Mark Johnston wished people a happy New Year. He asked for any declarations of interest. Cllr Steve Niblock declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 5 (Outcome of Wirral’s Housing Market Renewal Transitional Funding Bid) as he lives in a Housing Market Renewal Initiative area.

Cllr Mark Johnston asked a question on the minutes, specifically about page 4 item 29. He asked if the information had been released?

Kevin Adderley said that the Department for Work and Pensions had not changed its approach and the information was embargoed as confidential. The minutes were agreed.

Cllr Mark Johnston said that as Lindsay Ashworth was in China, instead the presentation would be given by Richard Mawdsley instead. Richard Mawdsley introduced himself as the Project director for the Wirral Waters project which encompassed the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone and the Peel International Trade Centre.

He gave those present some background to Peel, describing it as an asset rich, cash poor company with a brief description of its various divisions which included the Trafford Centre and a stake in Pinewood Studios. Mr. Mawdsley also referred to the wind turbines on the Mersey and Peel’s plans for power from a Mersey tidal barrage.

Media City UK in Salford Quays was given as an example of a completed regeneration project involving a docks area. He offered to show officers and councillors a tour to show them the site. The BBC had relocated to Media City in Salford Quays who he described as a “catalytic occupier”. He said that people had been sceptical that they could deliver the Trafford Centre but they had.

He explained Peel’s Ocean Gateway and Atlantic Gateway projects including a map showing the land owned by Peel. Peel’s projects were in three areas which were regeneration, transport & logistics and sustainable technologies. In 2005 they had bought the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. The Liverpool Waters project had raised issues related to their World Heritage Status.

Mr. Mawdsley showed those present an aerial photo of the three miles of Wirral dock land. This covered the East Float, West Float, Bidston and Twelve Quays. The Bidston area was going to be a centre for leisure and retail. They would start the concept of the design in the Summer. The area had good motorway links and a underutilised railway line. He pointed out the polarised situation of house prices on the Wirral, with an East vs West divide.

Cllr Peter Kearney arrived.

Mr. Mawdlsey said they had gone “back to the drawing board” in 2006, with consultation with stakeholders and a supportive public. They had looked at best practice in different cities and had set out ten goals in 2008. These included an international city waterfront, new markets and prosperity, health and well-being as well as master planning. They wanted to create a new skyline for Wirral. He compared the height of the planned Peel buildings with other well-known tall buildings from around the world, stating it was going to be a similar height to the London Eye.

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